CNI PROJECTS

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Architectural Contexts for New Academic Platforms

Introduction

ARL has provided a focus for renewed interest from the library community in a cluster of ideas variously called "scholar's portals," "academic platforms," or "scholar's toolkits," to assist information seekers in locating, using, and contributing to the ever-growing diversity of academic and scholarly information resources. As these ideas are refined, we recognize the limitations of services such as commercial Web search engines and traditional library automation tools. We also see a need to integrate new tools with the emerging technologies of learning management systems.

CNI is concerned with architectural and standards frameworks that can facilitate the development of interoperable and complementary prototype systems and ultimately contribute to the development of a vibrant marketplace in such systems as they are created by the private sector, by university-industry collaborations, or by university-based projects. Our ongoing efforts in the area of architectural contexts is characterized by an emphasis on access and reuse of content from a user perspective--dealing specifically with portals, search engines, and the role of the open archives metadata harvesting technology.

Activities

• CNI launched an alliance with IMS Global Learning Consortium in March 2003, to explore development of common architectural and functional models leading to joint specifications and improved technical interoperability in digital libraries and learning object repositories. Cliff Lynch and Neil McLean prepared a joint white paper on the topic (see below).
• Co-sponsored and participated in Advisory Board meetings for the Shibboleth Project, December 2, 2002; Janaury 7, Janaury 21, February 11, 2003.
• Co-sponsored a workshop with ARL, Spring 2002.

Publications and Presentations

• Cliff Lynch and Neil McLean presented a project briefing on Interoperability between Information and Learning Environments—Bridging the Gaps at the Fall 2003 CNI Task Force Meeting.
• Clifford A. Lynch and Neil McLean, "Interoperability between Information and Learning Environments--Bridging the Gaps," a white paper co-sponsored by IMS Global and CNI. Draft 1, PDF (June 28, 2003)